On May 22nd, I had the pleasure of being on a panel with a distinguished group of speakers, all of whom support women with childbirth, which was hosted by the Bump Club, a fast-growing group for expectant and new moms in Austin, Chicago and Minneapolis. Other speakers on our panel included Wendy Howard, NR, BSN, a labor and delivery nurse, Cheryl Sipowski, MS, LPC, a counselor for couples and individuals, and Dawn Gibson, MSW who supports mothers with individual mind-body coaching.

Here’s what I told the Austin audience:

It was through conversations with other mothers that I realized that many women want to share their experiences with fertility, pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum in a supportive environment.

I started telling my story of a first pregnancy and childbirth at age 40 about 5 years ago to close friends and family. There was no Bump Club or other local group for new “older” mothers. I was pretty much on my own.

Fortunately since February 2011, I’ve owned a children’s and maternity store called Little Green Beans, which helped me a lot through my last pregnancy (from both a support and baby gear acquisition perspective).

I delivered a healthy baby boy at age 43 at 11 months. He is my third (and last) child.

My middle child, a daughter was adopted from foster care locally in 2012. She has been mine and my husband’s to raise since she was 5 days old. She’s now 2 years and 9 months old and resembles Dora The Explorer in her looks and personality.

My conversations with other women lead to a lot introspection in 2011 and early 2012, the writing down of my stories and then we birthed this website in April 2012.

You may or may not be surprised to know that the range of pregnancy experience is broad among women with no significant reproductive issues nor chronic, pre-existing health conditions. Age is not the best standard by which to judge who will have a “Text Book Pregnancy” and who will face barriers with fertility, pregnancy, childbirth and post partum.

Each of us will have a different set of experiences during each pregnancy.

A DISCLAIMER I need to share, like the one I include on all written of my materials: You should not rely on the information mentioned tonight as an alternative to obtaining specific medical advice from your own doctor or healthcare provider. Any information we share is NOT intended to be used for any medical diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.

Tell Others About This

Find Helpful Information Fast

Follow us on Twitter

Ask the Expert

This is the column where our readers can write in with their questions. We’ll field the questions to one or more experts in the subject and post the responses typically within 2 weeks. Write Us with Your Question!

Margaret Connor, MPH, CHC

Q: I’ve always had a pretty healthy diet but now that I am pregnant, what vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are critical to include for optimal health for me and my baby?

A: It sounds like you have already helped yourself and your baby by eating healthy before your pregnancy began, which is terrific. Now let’s examine how our metabolic needs do increase during pregnancy. The following vitamins and minerals play a special role in your health and that of your child’s during pregnancy (and often postpartum as well). One exciting detail to consider is that the absorption of nutrients across our intestinal barrier typically increases during pregnancy, so eating good sources of these vitamins and minerals will go a long way towards keeping you equipped with the necessary nutrients.

FOLATE – You’ve probably heard your OB mention this as a valuable supplement that you might have been taking even before you became pregnant. The evidence that folate reduces the risk of neural tube defects is so compelling that the U.S. started fortifying grains with folate in 1998. The current recommendation is for women with child-bearing potential to be taking 400 micrograms/day and for pregnant women to take 600 micrograms/day. Good dietary sources of folate include broccoli, spinach, lentils and other beans. FUN FACT: Did you know that folate is actually Vitamin B9?

IRON – This is the most common deficiency we see in pregnancy and it typically appears in the second or third trimester. During the first trimester, your body’s increased metabolic demands for iron are balanced out by the fact that you are no longer menstruating each month. However, your body’s demands for iron will increase during your pregnancy and as such, your doctor will likely be keeping a close eye on your levels. On average, 13-40 mg/day of iron supplementation is recommended. Most prenatal vitamins (which we actually take during pregnancy) contain about 30mg. If you are found to be iron-deficient, or anemic, your doctor will place you on a higher dose and recommend that you continue supplementation postpartum. The best dietary sources of iron are read meat, poultry, fortified cereals and beans. Iron is best absorbed from food when it is eaten with foods containing Vitamin C.

CALCIUM – Calcium is required for your baby to grow healthy bones and teeth. Some studies have also shown that calcium supplementation during pregnancy can lower your risk for pregnancy-induced hypertension and preterm delivery due to preeclampsia. It is recommended that pregnant mamas get 1000mg of calcium per day. The average daily intake for most women is about half that amount. As a result, most prenatal vitamins provide calcium supplementation. Good dietary sources of calcium include dairy products, sardines, collard greens, sesame seeds and tofu. To be honest, with the exception of dairy (which I don’t tolerate) that can be a tough list of foods to find palatable during pregnancy. Just do what you can.